The House of Blue

For the life of me i dont see how some view this as not a huge hit!.. Its Huge!!....Okay maybe he wasnt the best positions coach in the SEC, someone has to be responsible for attracting the talent to our practice field and once theyre here........someone else can coach them. Remember this is about Jimmy and Joes not X's and O's. If the talent doesnt make it to campus we have no chance!

Well I don't think that will be a issue. Barnhart and Joker did all they could to keep Tee in Lexington.

To be 100% honest. And I know this will piss some of you off but this seems like a Coach jumping ship while his stock is at a all time high, and worried about the HC's future. I can't really blame him. Not that I like it or agree but I what can we do?

I think Joker will get two more seasons regardless unless we just have a 1 or 2 win season. The issue will be finding a replacement that will come here with Joker ""on the hot seat"".

It's a big hit, but if it was going to come, now is a better time than immediately after the season or during the 11th hour of recruiting.

They have time now to find a good replacement. Tee had very little experience before coming to UK. Someone is out there now similar to him that wants the opportunity to be in the SEC.

Tough break for the guys he recruited this year that though he would be around next year though. . .

this is really hurtful news. It hurts us on the recruiting trail, but like has been said by others. Our WR corps last year didn't really set the world on fire. I think we could hire someone with more experience coaching WR's and be better off. We have some talent at WR, but recruiting is where this hurts us. But we have to move quickly to get someone who can recruit with the same veracity that Tee was able to.

QFT! They both seem to be going after everyone we are.

Wesley McGriff come back to UK! I think he's the one at Ole Miss anyway...

I agree that we need to give Joker time but I'd like to point out that Meyer actually wanted the UK job back when we hired Mumme. IIRC he was an assistant coach at ND at the time.

Obviously some of you are ready to jump off a cliff over this. Yes it does hurt a little but not a major catastrophe that some of you are making it out to be. And those of you saying that this means that Tee has no faith in Joker, you are way off. You obviously never listened to Tee's comments on Joker. Tee did this for his wife and family, plan and simple. Joker will get someone to fill the recruiting role and someone who can coach receivers. I think everyone can agree that a receiver coach was not Tee's strong suit. To say we will no longer get players is just laughable. Seems to me we have had some very nice players come through UK in the last few years prior to Tee Martin. I wish Tee and his family nothing but the best and I look forward to seeing who Joker brings in to fill the job.

BS, no one called him a liar or said he didn't talk to Joker.

oh waaa waaa waaa. Some of you need to put on your big boy underwear and get out of the diapers. Tee Martin is leaving a bottom tiered SEC program for one of the superpowers of the sport. Coaches leave for other jobs all the time, coaches are fired all the time, nature of the business. There is nothing wrong whatsoever with Tee Martin accepting this job and confirming that he had to media folks and not telling Joker until he sees him face to face in the morning. And if you don't recognize what a tremendous career opportunity this is for him and an incredible improvement in security as well as status then you are not dealing with reality.

You all are going to love these quotes. I doubt it's OK to link the story, but here is what Martin told USC Scout writer Greg Biggins:

"This was a real tough decision for me, I loved it at Kentucky,” Martin said Wednesday night. “I interviewed with Lane [Kiffin] on Monday and spent the whole day on campus. I took a red eye flight home that night and then turned my phone off all day Tuesday.

"Late Tuesday, I had decided I would stay at Kentucky. I was really torn but we have so much family in the area, my wife loves it here and I loved coaching these kids and working under Coach [Joker] Phillips. I called up Lane to talk to him some more and now I understand why he’s regarded as the best recruiter in the country. He made me feel like I was a five-star recruit and was relentless. He really made me feel comfortable with the situation and I decided I had to make the move."

I love Tee, but he left for a very prestigious job. It happens all the time in the workplace. Joker hired him, and now needs to go make another hire just like that one.